Cable-winding mechanism.



N. D. LEVIN. CABLE WINDING MECHANISM. APPLICATlOH men 11:0.5, 1911. RENEWED AUG. 17. 1914.

Patented Apr. 27. 1915.

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*rsrss Fri l L @s M cs eras JETE'EREY msnn'rsc- I or CABLE-WHEEERL? MECEAI-HSI firig'inal application filed Aug-ass 82., 1916, Serial Ei'o. 1913, serial 2%. 664,63?. Renewed so-gust 1f, Serial No. 85?,2G3.

may concern:

l, norm that L Ellis LEVIN, a. citi- 1 me United tetesresidirig at Columbus, the county of Franklin State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful. lmvroveinerits in. Cshle-ll'inding Mechanisihs of which the following is e specificalion, reference h had therein to the ac- This invention relates Winding mechanisms espec -lly adapted and iniended for confcrolling the and unwinding of electric conductor cables used for supplying current to :1 moving vehicle such as an electr cally operable mining machine truck or on eiec'iric locomotive.

in she drawings, for the mrpcses oi illustrai-ion, l have shown the reel applied to a.

mi 1- machine truck, but liwlll be understood shot is also Well adapted for use in invention is to readily mount from its support "f the invention are "no riction means for controlling the reel 50 ellect Wiiiding and to provide in'iprcred means for connecting and disccnn-eciing the reel driving means with a source of power.

Further objects will appear from the following specification. I

@l the drawings, Figure l is a plan View showing any improved winding mechanism applied to and connected with mining Illic- Fig. 2 is a side elevation, a at chino mining machine heing indie ed in position on the truck.

As my present invention does not relate to the par icular form of truck which is shown, it will he sullicieni; to refer to this very briefly Illhe truck comprises a main frame 1. nicuiifed upon axles 2- and 3. Rot-otably mounted upon the ends of the axle? are track wheels l, l. The axle? is cranked, its cent-rail portion being out of aline'inent with its end poriicns. Means are provided for rocking this share to eilect the raising and lowering of the front end of the truck. Track wheels 5, 5, are rigidly connected with the axle This 3 is rotatable and is with the transverse which is monnied 111 hear- Specification of *Metcers Eaten? IPase-hled her. 2'? 1915.

December ings S and 9 at the rear end of the truck. ELcljacenl; the hearing is a worm Wheel 10 rigidly connected 'ith the shaft 7. This worm wheel 10 inches with a Worm 11 on the loiigilgudinsl shaft 12 which is supported in suitable hearings on the casing 13 which inclcses the Worm and WOl'lIl Wheel.

At the forward end of the shaft 12 is a clutch element 14 which is adapted to mesh Wl -il a similar clutch element 15 at the rear end 015 s mining machine" such as that indi: cased at Power from the motor of the mining machine can be applied through the clutch elements 15 and 14 and through the gearing which has been described to cause the rotation of the shaft 7. From the shaft 7 power is transmitted through the chain 6 to the axle 3, to cause rotation of the track Wheels and to propcllhe t uck along the rails.

Two reel supporting bars 17 and 18 exehd rearward from the rear end of 1hrruclr. Preferably these bars are angle 'roendins upward at the outer side. The upward extending flanges of the two bars are similiirl noichcd as indicated at 19. 20 indicates a reel supporting frame which is preferably in the form of an inverted U. The lower ends of ibis frame engage the notches 19 of the bars 17 and 18 and are thus held against movement.

21 indicates cable reel which-is mounted in suitable hearings on the frame 20 for rotation about o horizontal axis. At one side of rho reel and secured to it is a grooved sheave 23. llotamhly mounted on the shaft 3' and in she same plane with the sheave 23 in a second grooved sheave 2i. An endless rope belt passes over these two sheaves and serves to operatively connect them. It will also be noted that the rope 25 serves to support the reel and the reel frame, the znountihg of the frame at its lower end being a pii'ctsl' one. The sheave 24: on the shaft' 7 may he operatively connected with the shaft by means of a manually controllable clutch 1.6.

27 represents an electric conductor cable us arranged with the vertical flange exconnected to the reel in a manner to limit Winding hereon, Preferably this cablehas .vitl i it two separate conductor Wires. An

. One of these boxes has within it the mechanism for gathering the positive current from the positive conductor of the cable and the other box is similarly provided with means for making connection with the negative conductor of the cable. Detachably connected' conductor -vwires 30' and 31 lead from the boxes 29 to the terminals of a motor such asthat on the mining machine.

- The distance between the center of the power mechanism or driving devices on shaft 7 and the center of the reel is limited, and, therefore, the length of the endless rope transmitter 25 must be quite short. This prevents the use of the tighteners which such power transmitters ordinarily require for the purpose of giving them sulficient tension under all circumstances. But by the mounting of the reel in such way that it is movable relatively to the vehicle under the action of its gravity and in such direction as to bear against its driving rope, the tension on the latter is maintained sufiiciently high to have the reel always eliectiv'ely rotated, notwithstanding the fact that the rope transmitter cannot be provided with a tightener of the ordinary sort.

In operation let it be assumed that a minmg truck and that its clutch element 15 is in engagement with the clutch element 14: on the shaft 12. Power may then be transmitted from the motor of the mining machine through the connections, which have been described, to drive the truck in either direction. It being assumed that the ends of the conductors in the cable- 27 are connected with suitable fixed supply conductors, current will be led to the mining machine motor through the cable and through the wires 30 and 81. When the truck is being driven toward the point at which the free end of the cable is attached the clutch 26is thrown into engagement and the sheave 24; is caused to. rotate with the shaft 7. Through the rod' 25 power is transmitted to turn the reel in the direction towind the cable. The diameters of the two sheaves 23 and 24 are so related that the tendency is for the rope to.

drive the reel at a speed greater. than that which the motion of the truck along the track will permit. This tendency for relatively'rapid rotation of the reel is counteracted by the cable tension which resists the machine is in operative position on the ioness rotationand causes the rope to slip on one of the sheaves. The result is that the reel is driven at exactly the proper speed and with the proper power to maintain the requisite tension in the'cable.

The tension in the rope, and consequently its driving eliiciency, may be varied by moving the lower end of the frame Q-O'fmm one set of notches to another set. In this way the point of support of the'reel is brought nearer to and. fart-her from the vertical plane of its center of gravity.

By removing 31 and by removing the rope 25 from the sheave 3% the whole reel, together with its supporting frame, may be readily separated from the truck. The factthat the reel is readily separated from the truck makes it especially adapted for use with an apparatus of this particular type for the reason that it is frequently found necessary, or desirable, to operate the mining machine at a point relatively remote from the truck. In such cases it frequently becomes necessary to move the reel from time to timeto avoid the necessity of providing excessively long connectors 30 and 31.

This application constitutes a division of my copending application entitled Mining, machine trucks, filed Aug. 31, 1910, Ser. No. 579,798.

I do not'herein broadly claim a rope drive mechanism in combination with a cable reeling mechanism used upon, or suitable for, several propelling electric vehicles. Claims for this subject-matter are presented in my co-pending application Serial No. 859,095, filed August- '28, 1914-, as a. division of my earlier application April 11, 1914, as a renewal of application Serial No. 507,635, filed July 14, 1909...

What I claim is: 1. In a cable winding mechanism for 9. ve-

hicle, the combination of a reel frame supend for movement about ported at its lower a reel rotatably mounted a horizontal axis, on the frame with its center of one side of the vertical plane through the said horizontal axis, a. cable wound upon the reel, a rotatable rope sheave on the frame operatively connected with the reel, an endless rope belt passing overthe sheave, a second rope sheave over which the rope also passes thereby serving to prevent movement of the reel and the reel frame about the horizontal axis of frame support, and means for driving the secohd sheave to cause rota tion of the reel by means of the rope and the first sheave.

2. In. a cable winding mechanism for a vehicle, the combination of a frame supported at its lower end: in a manner to per mil; movement about a horizontal axis, a

cable reel mounted on the frame for rotation about a horizontal axisthe position of the the detachable wires '30 and 7 Serial No. 831,342, filed I gravity at v, ti'on therewith, a second relatively fixed roreel on the frame positioned with its center of gravityat, one side-of the vertical plane igiea'eea V o:

reel on the frame being such that its center of gravity is at one side of the vertical plane'through the horizontal axis of frame support, a cable Wound upon the reel, a rope sheave rigidly connected to the reel for rotatatable sheavein the same vertical plane with the first sheave, an endless rope belt pissing over the two sheaves and thereby serving .to support'the reel and its frame against movement about the axis of frame support, and means for driving the second .S eave'to cause rotationof'the reel.

3. In a cable winding mechanism for a vehicle, the combination of a reel holding frame, a support upon which the frame is pivotal-1y mounted in a manner to permit free removal therefrom, a rotatable cable through the pivotal axis of frame support, a

rope sheave connected to the reel for rotation therewith, a second relatively fixed rotatable sheavein the same plane with the first sheave, an endless rop'ebelt passing over the tworsheaves and thereby serving to support the reel and its frame against 'movement about the axis of frame support, means for driving the second sheave to cause rotation of the reel, and a cable connected to the reel to be Wound thereon.

4. In a cable winding mechanism for a vehicle," the combination of a frame supported at its lower end in a manner to permit movement about a transverse horizontal axis, a reel rotatably mounted on the frame with its center of gravity at one side of the vertical plane through, the said horizontal ax1s,a cable wound upon the reel, :1 rotatable rope sheave operatively connected with .the reel, a second fixed rope sheave in the same plane with the, first rope sheave, an endless rope belt passing over' the two sheaves and serving to support the reel and its frame against movement about the said horizontal axis, means for moving the lower end of the frame to change its axis of support and thereby vary the tension of the rope, and means vfor driving the second rope sheave to cause rotation of the reel.

5. In a cablewinding mechanism for a vehicle, the combination of a reel supporting frame, a reel mounted on the frame for rotation about ahori zontal' axis, a cable wound upon the. reel, means for supporting the framept its lower end, in a manner to per mit swinging about a horizontalaxis, means for horizontally adjusting the axis of frame sup ort to vary the distance between the sea raxisva'nd thewertical plane through the center of gravity of the reeha rope sheave rigidly connected With the reel and rotatable the horizontal axis oithe frame support, and

means for rotating the second rope sheave to cause rotation of the reel.

6. in a cable winding mechanism for a vehicle, the combination of a reel holding frame, a support for the frame, means for pivotally holding the lower endof the frame in any one of a plurality of positions with respect to the support, a rotatable cable reel on the frame, a rope sheave on the frame operatively-connected with the reel, a sec ond relatively fixed rotatable rope sheave in the same plane with the first rope sheave, means for driving the second sheave, an end less belt passing over the two sheaves and serving to support the reel and the frame against movement about the axis of frame support, and a cable connected to the reel for winding thereon.

. 7. in a cable Winding mechanism for a vehicle, the combination of a frame pivotally supported at its lower end for movement about a horizontal a a cable reel rotatably mounted on he frame with its cen gravity at one side of the vertical plane througli the horizontal axis of frame sup port, a cable wound upon the reel, a rope operativ-ely connected with the reel, a relatively fixed rotatable power shaft, means for drivingthe power shaft, a second rope sheave rot-stably mounted on the power shaft, a manually controllable clutch for connecting the secoiid sheave with the power shaft, and. airendlcss rope belt passing over the two sheaves, the rope sewing to hold the reel and the frame against increment about the horizontal of frame support and also serving to transmit power to the second sheave to cause rotation of the reel.

8. in a cable Winding mechanism for a vehicle, the combination of an inverted U- shaped frame. means forpivotali q support ing the lower ends of the legs of the frame, cable reel rotatably mounted between the logs of the frame with its center of gravity at one side of the vertical plane through the pivotal axis of frame support, a cable Wound upon the reel, a rope sheave connected with the reel for rotation therewith, a sccond relatively fixed rotatable rope sheave, means for driving the second sheave, and an endloss rope belt passing over the two heavcs, the rope serving to hold the reel and the frame against rnoven'ient about the llOll-- 9; In a cable Winding mechanisnrfor a vehicle, the combination of an inverted LL shaped frame, means for adjnstehly supporting the lower ends of the legs of the frame in a manner to pernnt'swinging about support a horizontal axis, means for adjusting the lower ends of the legs to move the said horizontal axis, a cable reel rotatably mounted between the legs of the frame with its center of gravity at one side of the vertical plane through the axis of frame support, a cable wound upon the ed with the reel and rotatable therewith, a relatively fixed rope sheave in the same plane with'the first rope sheave, means for driving the second said rope sheave, and an endless rope belt passing over the two sheaves, the rope serving to hold the reel and the frame against movement about the horizontal axis of frame support, and. also serving to transmit power to cause rotation of the reel, the tension in the rope being variable in accordance with the position of the axis of frame support.

10. In cable winding mechanism for a vehicle, the combination of two rearward extending substantially horizontal. bars con nected with the vehicle, a reel supporting frame having two separated parallel legs, means for lvbtally supporting the lower ends of the evs in engagement with the said bars in a manner'to permit movement about a transverse horizontal axis, a cable reel rotatably mounted between the two-legs of the frame with its center of gravity at one side of the vertical plane through the axis of frame support, a cable wound upon the reel, a rope sheave connected with the reel for rotation therewith, a second. relatively fixed rotatable rope sheave first rope sheave, means for driving the second rope sheave, and an endless rope belt passing over the two sheaves and serving to the reel and the frame against movement about the horizontal axis of frame support and also serving to transmit power to the first sheave tocause rotation of the reel. 1

11. In a cable winding mechanism for a vehicle, the combination of two substantially horizontal parallel bars extending rearward from the rear end of the vehicle, a reel supporting frame com rising two separate parallel legs, means or connecting the lower ends of the legs with the said bars at any one of a' plurality of points in a manner to support the frame to permit the swinging about a transverse horizontal tatably mounted between frame, a cable wound upon the reel, a-rotatable rope sheave operativcly-connccted with the reel, a second relatively fixed rope sheave I the first rope sheave,

in the same plane with means for driving the second rope sheave, and an endless rope belt passing over the two sheaves and serving to support the reel ahd the frame against movement about the horizontal axis of frame support and also serving to transmitpower to the first sheave to cause rotation of the reel, the tension of reel, a rope sheave connectin the same plane with the axis, a cable reel rothe legs of the vehicle,

menses therope being variable in accordance with the position of the transverse axis about which the ,reel supporting "frame maybe swung. V

12. in a cable winding mechanism for a vehicle, thercombination of two substantially horizontal and parallel bars extending rearward from the vehicle, each of the bars being angle shaped in cross section and having its vertical flange extending "-upward and notched along the rear part of aits upper edge, a reel, supporting frame comprising two separated'parallel legs thelower ends of which are adapted to enter and engage any one of the sets'of notches in the-said bars to be supported thereby, a rotatable cable reel mounted between the twov legs of the framewith its center of gravity at one side of the vertical plane through the lower ends of the frame legs, acable wound upon the reel, a rope sheave rotatably mounted'on the frame and connected with the ICfil'yll relvehicle, the combination of a frame suppor ed at its lower end for movement about a transverse horizontal axis, a cable reel rota tably mounted on the frame for rotation about a horizontal axis, the position of the vreel bein such that its'center of gravity is at one si e of the vertical planethrough the axis of frame support, a cable connected with the reel to be wound thereon, a -cable guiding pulley adjacent the reel and supported from the frame to move therewith, a.

- rope sheave rotatable on the frame and connected with the reel, a second rope sheave in the same vtrti'cal lane with the first rope sheave, means for ivin the second sheave, and an endless rope-bell; passing overthe two sheaves and serving to support the reel and the frame against movement about the horizontal axis of frame support and also its.

serving to transmit power to thefirst sheave to causetl rotation of the reel.

14. In 'a cable' reeling mechanismfor a the combination of a=horizontal cable reel, a framev on which the reel is mounted means for supporting the frame at its lower end in a manner-to permit movement about a horizontalaxis positioned at one side of the vertical plane through the center ,Iof gravity of the reel, arable connected withthe rcel tube wound thereon, a-

cable guiding pulley, a pulley supporting framefpivotally connected with the reel su porting frame, a rope sheave rotatably mounted on the reel supporting frame and operatively connected with the reel, 21 second relatively fixed rope sheave in the same plane with the first rope sheave, means for driving the second sheave, and an endless rope belt passing over the two sheaves and serving to support the reel and its frame against movement about the horizontal axis offrame support and also serving to transmit 'power to the first sheave to cause rotation of the reel. 15. In a cable winding mechanism for a vehicle, the combination of a reel support, a reel mounted thereon to be bodily movable relatively thereto under the action of its gravity, the electric cable winding at one of its ends on said reel and adapted to be at its other end fixed stationarily relative to the reel support, the power mechanism bodily fixed relatively to the reel support, and the relatively short endless power transmitter engaging with the power mechanism and with the reel, the latter being arranged to have its aforesaid movement increase the tension of the endless power tr'ansmitter.

16. In a cable winding mechanism tor a vehicle, the combination of the support adapted to carry areelactuating motor, the cable reel mounted thereon to be bodily movable under the action of its gravity, the electric cable winding at one end on said reel and adapted to be at the other end fixed stationarily relatively to the support and to supply current to the reel-actuating motor, the power mechanism bodily fixed relatively to'the support, and the short endless power transmitter connecting the power meohanism with the reel, said parts being arranged substantially as described whereby the tension of the endless power transmitter is maintained by the weight of the reel.

17. In a cable winding mechanism for a vehicle, the combination of the support adapted to carry a reel-actuating motor, the cable reel mounted on said support and movable hodily relatively thereto, the electric cable adapted to have one end fixed stationarily relatively to the support and the other wound upon said reel and adapted to be electrically connected to the motor, the bodily stationary power mechanism on the support, and the relatively short endless power transmitter interposed between the power mecha nism and the reel and arranged to partially support the reel and to apply its tension thereto in opposition to the tension exerted l 1L3 DA D LEVIN. l/Vitnesses I D. Davis, DUDLEY T. FISHER; 

